Self-closing shoe



April 2, 1929. c; FERRETTIE 1,707,390

' -SELF CLOSING SHOE Filed Jan. 5, 1927 Patented pr.l 2, 1929.

h f iUNI'TED f-1',7o7,390` l PAIENjrvomca coNRAn FRRRETTIE, or MIsHAw'AKA', INDIANA, AssIeNoR TONISVHAWARA RUBBER AND wooLEN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or lMIsHAvs/'AKA,INnIANInA, 003- PoRA'rIoN or INDIANA,

snLrv-cLosrNe sHon Application mea January -s,` 1927. 'seriai No. 158,764; F

My invention 'relates to a high shoe, as distinguished from arlow shoe or ordinary rubber, which fits snuglyf and is held securely 1n y placewithout necessitatingthe use of fasi teners and has reference more particularly to the construction of the-shoe with a vamp overlying separable partsof the upper: L,and

cooperating with these separable parts to iinprove the sheddingpropertiesand insure a close fitting shoe. The principal objectsof my invention are to provide an improved shoe structure; to arf range the vamp o verl the forward portions of the quarters forincreasing the shedding ll'i` properties of the shoe;tocause the upper to lit snugly and securely in place withoutfthef necessity of employing fasteners; to construct the shoe-with overlapping' parts whichv are shaped and suitably :stiffened 'por reinforcedso thatv they are necessarily sprung4 outwardly againsttheir normal fform fretam- I ing tendencyY to fit the wearer; vto' provide'a divided upper withl an overlying :vamp

, which is transversely archedand reinforced so that the lateralportions vpress inwardly with suicient tension against the separable portions of theupper to exert a closing tend`- ency; to anchor the vamp welll around the sidesof the upper and thereby furtherl the closingactionbf the vamp; to provide an excluder memberbetween the overlappingv form'fwhich does-not .require fasteners. 4

-On the drawings:l l

Fig. l is a side view of a shoe constructed in accordance with my invention;

F ig.`2 is a perspective view thereof with parts broken away todisclose details ofthe construction;VA i v Fig; Sis an enlargedsectional' view on the line 3-3 ofFig.f1;and v Fig. 4 isfaside View of a last suchv as I employ in making myshoe. f l y Referring'to lthe drawings,- which showy a shoe of the overshoe type, although itis to be understood that the inventionis capableof use in shoes of other types,the reference nulower portions 7 and 8 respectively of the to:k maintainl their 'original ,form V'and thus close fitting `and conveniently constructed meral l indicates the sole or bototm'p'art of the shoeand 2`the foxi-ng which is commonly used in rubber footwear around thelower of the rquarters 3 and 4 andis kdivided down the front to afford separable edges v5 4and 6 respectively, which spread apart somewhat to lit the wearer and about halfway down the front',`the.quarters are cut away so that the i forward edges' recede as shown particularly inFig. l and terminate substantially attheupper. edge ofv the foxing 2 near the arch or' at a point well toward the back of the shoe;

The front of the. shoe comprisesthe vamp which extends up lsubstantially to the top of the upper'3-4 over the g'ap between the *edges AZn-8 and. 5-'6,`said v'ainp'being rather wide and'transverselyarchedso that the side portions thereof overlapl` the frontv portions ofthe quarters` and 4 to a considerable exf tent and insure complete covering of the gapA between the quarters 3 and 4 andadequate shedding effect.- i' The lower portion of the i' camp extends well. back along the sides of. 30

ythe shoe; at least'to a` point where the edges 7 Y andjS ofthe upper are fully overlapped -by the vamp; and/is anchored to the quarters and 4 or` foxing 2 or both at this point so jas a tohold the vamp vdown snugly against the frontV of the'foot andlegwhenV the shoe is 1n use.V y. v1 1 "lheupper 34 and vamp 9 are made of materials which have .considerable tendency cause the shoeto it properlyand thisis" fury ther promoted by :arranging the upper and vamp so that the mouth of the shoe is smaller thannormal for ra'shoe of the particular size and is thus. necessarily expanded to fit the and shaped on alast l0 such as shown in F ig.

`4,*inwhich" the dottedvlines show* the last of l normal size andV shape for making' shoes.V

or 'a last" is otherwise formed with such'smallf 105 mouth portion, and the shoe when assembled e e and fitted' thereon will have a'correspo'n'ding ly small lmouth as shownat 12 in Figs; 1 and 2, vthe upper 3 4 vbeing swung 'inwardly all lthe kway around to ak greaterextent ythan 'in 1.10

g5 wearer, and this'finsures a snug lit and secure Y holdingof the shjoeonthe foot. For exam-jlple,A in assembling'the shoe itgmay'be built up a normal shoe, the position of the back of the latter being shown for comparison by the dotted line 13 in Fig. 1, and the vamp 9 isv also brought in to increase the snugness of vthe fit, the dotted linev 111 for example showing upper and vamp to retain their original form,

which is furthered by the anchoring of the vamp well toward the back and the quarters well toward the front of the shoe, the overlapping` portions of the vamp and quarters being relatively adjusted by such outward pressing` or springing of the parts but re-` maining Well overlapped with the lateral portions of the vamp pressingin against the forward portions of thequarters so as to assist in holding the latter snugly in place. The shoe is thereby caused ,to maintain a snug fit and is held securely in place. Y

Y My invent-ion may be used very advantageously in anovershoe, and in such structure the upper and vamp are composed in whole or in part of rubber composition, which is laid upon the last 10 and subsequently vulcanized. Inthe illustrated structure the upper.4 3-f4; iscomposed of the facing 15, lining 16 and interposed layer 17 of rubber composition which when vulcanized serves to hold` the upper in the form in which it .was built up on the last, and the vamp 9 is likewise conf structed of facing 18, lining 19 and interposed rubber composition 20, the latter of which may be thickened or reinforced if desired to more effectively retain its shape and insure ample pressure against the portions of .the upper overlapped thereby.

. In some shoe structures as for example in overshoes, it may be desirable to close t e joint between the overlapped vamp and quarters` to preclude entrance of water, etc. To this end a thin layer of waterproofed fabric 21 or` other suitable material is interposed between the overlapped parts and has the forward edge connected with the edge or 8 ofthe respective quarters 3 or 1, and the rear l edge of the fabric 21 is connected to the rear edge of the vamp 9 at the corresponding side ofthe shoe.v The excluder .21 may be continuous vwith the facing of the upper or'of the vamp if desired and merely treated with a coating of rubber composition for Waterproofing-but in any event itis preferably thin.

and iexible so that it will readily adapt itself to variationsin adjustment of the vamp and upper and permit free adjustment thereof. Thisexcluder may also be extended upwardly to a higher elevation if desired, but I have found that it serves effectively when constructedarnd arranged as shown and does not the divided front of the upper and having side portions overlapping the said separable side portions of the upper and serving solely by its form retaining property to hold said side portions closed.

2. The combination of a shoe having an upperv divided down the front, and a vamp extendingup over and embracing portions of the upper at opposite sides of the gap, 'said' vamp being molded in a transverselyarched form so that the lateral portions thereof resiliently engage the portions of the upperY overlapped thereby.

3. The combination of a shoe having an upper divided down the front and forming a gap anda vamp extending up over and emf bracing portions of the uppervat opposite sides of the gap, said vamp being reinforced 4with a molded resilient material so arranged that the lateral portions thereof resiliently press againstthe sides ofthe upper for holding the latter closed.` Y i 4. Thek combination of a shoe ,having an upper divided down. the front into separable side portions with closely adjoining separable edges and a vamp extending up over the di vided front of the upper and overlapping the. separable side portions thereof, said vampy and upper being moldedso that` the overlapping parts automatically fit flat together in various positions of relative-adjustment. i

5. The combination of a shoehaving an upper divided down the front into separable side portions with closely adjoining separable edges and a vamp extending up over the di:k videdfront of the upper and overlapping the separable side portions thereof,said vamp and upper being molded sov as to form a mouth which automatically variesin ysize to fitthe wearer. Y

6. The combination ofl a shoe having an upper divided down the front into'separable.

side portions with closely adjoining separable edges and a vamp extending up over the d1.

vided front ofthe upper andoverlapping the separable side portionsA thereof, said vamp and uppcr'being molded to form a mouth at vided front of 'the upper and overlapping the f separablev side portions thereof, vsaid vamp vand upper being of a form retaining Char-A acter and sprung outWardl against the form retaining tendency thereo to it the wearer.

8. The combination of ashoe'having an` upper divideddown the front into separable f l0 side portions and a vamp extending up tothe ap f ai@ divided 'front ofthe upper Aand having 'side portions extending back over the. sides of the upper and secured tosaid sides attheir lowerends, andllooselj)7 overlapping said sides thereabove, said vamp'being molded from top to bottom ina transversely arohed'form and Vresiliently reinforced so that the sides thereof resiliently press against theportions of the upper overlapped thereby.

p CONRAD FERRETTIE. 

